FF Plus blames ANC for museum and city hall fire

The Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) is accusing the ANC of being responsible for the burning of the museum and city hall in Lichtenburg in the North West.

The Ampie Bosman Cultural History Museum, which had preserved the history of the founding of Lichtenburg in 1873, General de la Rey (Koos de la Rey) and the siege of Lichtenburg in 1899-1902, has been gutted.

FF Plus North West member of the provincial legislature Erns Kleynhans said: “Despite the years of requests and warnings from the FF Plus and other stakeholders, these cultural treasures have now been destroyed due to the ANC-controlled Ditsobotla local municipality’s negligence.”

“It is an utter disgrace and demonstrates the ANC and its supporters’ disregard for the people of South Africa and Lichtenburg.”

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ANC provincial spokesperson Tumelo Maruping said: “The allegations by the FF Plus are baseless and seek to score cheap political mileage. We are approaching elections in 2024 and we are going to see similar allegations to this. We are not worried about them as the ANC.”

“The people of North West have resuscitated our confidence. The ANC-led government is intervening on service delivery through the Thuntsha Lerole Programme so we are focused and will not be deterred,” said Maruping.

Kleynhans said the ANC played the victim card when government property was destroyed. “It is not surprising that they would claim that we are scoring political goals. The burning of this property belonging to the government cannot be replaced by empty political rhetoric,” said Kleynhans.

Thabo Nkashe, the mayor of Ditsobotla local municipality, said it would not be possible to replace everything.

‘Cause of fire still unknown’

“The town hall was partially damaged while the museum building and the artefacts inside were completely gutted by fire,” Nkashe said.

SA Police Service North West spokesperson Colonel Adele Myburgh said: “Homeless children ran to the Lichtenburg police station to report the fire at the community hall which is near the museum. The cause of the fire is still unknown, and it is still under investigation.

According to ActionSA North West chair Kwena Mangope, unexplained fires have also destroyed critical infrastructure like the Mmabatho Palms Hotel and Casino Resort, Pilanesberg Airport, Christiana Clinic, the Manyane Resort, Lichtenburg Waste Tyre depot and now Ditsobotla Natural History Museum.

“We want an investigation to reveal if there are individuals involved, either through negligence or deliberate economic sabotage,” ActionSA said.

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